


Flux

by tharsis



Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime)
Genre: AZ Fanbook, Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-11
Updated: 2015-09-11
Packaged: 2018-04-20 04:56:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4774328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tharsis/pseuds/tharsis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Flux:  change, passage, or movement</p>
<p>written for AZ fanbook</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flux

**Author's Note:**

> I took a really long time to post this since the fanbook release, because I honestly was very unhappy with the way it turned out. I plan on revisiting this in the near future and completely rewriting the ending. But for now here it is - Enjoy! (hopefully).

Five years have passed. 

 

Although some weeks seemed to drag on forever, the years passed by quickly. The company certainly helped, although he would never admit that. It was no surprise when said company walked in this morning. The slight hesitation in the his usually steady gait however, was. Slaine’s interest was immediately piqued. 

“Oh this is going to be good.” 

Inaho looks up and meets Slaine’s eyes. Its obvious he’s battling with something. It is strange to see the always decisive, never wavering brunette in such turmoil. This was not just any visit, Slaine could tell that from the moment the brunette walked through the door. But how it was different, he had no idea. Not knowing what is going through the brunette’s head as he lethargically makes his way over to Slaine, his remaining eye downcast. The whole situation was unnerving. 

Slaine sits up in his bed, eyes boring into the younger man, urging him to say something, anything. 

“You came here for a reason, might as well just say it.” He curses himself when his voice wavers slightly, attempting to remain unconcerned while his brain was shuffling a mile a minute through possibilities always pausing at one. _Am I finally going to be executed?_

He doesn’t want to die. Not anymore. He hates himself for that. He deserves to die, he has no right to live, no right to want to live. In the past he would have been happy, knowing his end was coming. That he would reap the consequences of his actions. He smiles bitterly at the thought, he doesn’t want to die, isn’t he the worst.

 His only visitor might be Inaho, but over the years the impassive, stubborn boy had pussyfooted his way into his dull solitary life and made it bearable. More than bearable. Inaho gave him more than he was entitled to. As much as he wanted to hate his situation, he looked forward to those visits, no matter how insufferable the company. It was the only thing he had to look forward to, in his ever stationary life. No matter how inconsequential, every visit was different and somehow over the course of those year somewhere between those visits, Slaine had changed. No longer as self loathing as he once was, no more longing for death. If only they could have met under better terms, although Slaine can not help but think that this is better than never meeting at all. When had he become such a sap. 

Inaho pulls a chair up to Slaine’s bedside, letting out a noncommittal sigh. 

“I have good news and” He looks down at his hands and thats when Slaine sees it, a neatly folded piece of paper. Or he assumes it was once neatly folded as Inaho’s uncharacteristic constant fidgeting seems to have crumpled it.

He presses for the brunette to continue.

“And.. I honestly don’t know how you will take this.”

_Really, you’re this worried over my reaction to something?_ “It can’t be that bad,” he motions to the paper, “hand it here.”  When the brunette doesn’t move, he reaches for the paper himself. Inaho hesitates before allowing Slaine to pry it from his grip. He leaves the moment the edge of the paper brushes off his fingertips into the other’s hands, before Slaine has time to read who it is from.

“I’ll leave you to yourself for a while.” Inaho excuses himself stealing one last reluctant glance at the blonde before walking out the door.

 

 

-

It’s over. Even though he has already passed the letter along to Slaine. Inaho still contemplates whether it was the right thing to do. He’s overthinking this and he knows it. No matter what conclusion he comes to now won’t matter, he has already given Slaine the letter. He knows he had to, to withhold it from the blonde would not me right, no matter how much he wished to. Not to mention Slaine would loathe him for it, if he ever found out.  He just hopes, the letter won’t have a negative effect on Slaine. Although very slowly, Slaine had changed drastically over the past five years and was no longer as self loathing as he once was. There was still much work to be done, but he was better. This letter could be detrimental, and return Slaine to his unstable mentality of 5 years ago, when he was first thrown in prison. 

Slaine is strong. He can overcome this. _I know he will._

-

 

 

The folded piece of paper in his hands feels like dead weight. On the front, Empress Asseylum Vers Allusia is inscribed in ceremonious gold calligraphy. Everything about the letter screamed regality. It felt wrong, holding something so beautiful in his filthy bloodstained hands. He stares at the paper laying gently in his palms, being careful not to press it between his fingertips as if it were such a fragile thing that could burst into pieces at any given moment. 

The Princess… 

He wish he could say he had nearly forgotten her, but even his growing affinity towards Inaho was not enough to drive her from his thoughts completely. He had, however long ago come to terms with the fact that he would never hear from her again. He understands why Inaho was so hesitant. An innocent letter, how cruel. 

In the past he would have felt ecstatic, relieved he still held some place in her heart, no matter how small. She is the reason he is here, the reason he is alive. He knows if it were not for her he would probably be long since dead. He had welcomed death, desired it, but that time has long since passed. He can not hate her for sparing him now that he wants to live... He could never hate her. 

But to send a letter after five years? One flimsy piece of paper can not make up for all the time spent without a single word, coming to terms with the fact that she had abandoned him. Thinking she had forgotten about her naive plea to save him, and truly believed him dead; was better. 

No matter how much weight her words may carry, how much they used to mean to him, this had been written as an after thought. Not for him, but to soothe her own ego, even if she did not realize it. Asseylum is not cruel. Her naivety is merciless. Forcing him to live, sentencing him to life in prison when he wanted nothing more than to die. He has no place in her world anymore. Doesn’t she realize that? It might be a letter of forgiveness. Not that she would  truly forgive him, she would say it simply because she felt it was the right thing to do. He didn’t do anything to earn it, she never gave him the chance to. He doesn’t want to be forgiven anyway, he doesn’t regret what he did. 

The paper burns his fingertips, urging him to open the letter. He won’t. They had long since gone their separate ways. From Inaho’s updates, he knew she was fine and that was enough for him. The fact that the letter was sent would be enough for Asseylum to not have to think about him ever again, and have a clean conscience. 

This was enough for him too. He doesn’t need her request for him to live to accept being alive. He doesn’t need her words anymore. He doesn’t need her anymore. There is no longer a place for him in her world. Doesn’t she realize that? 

He has a reason to live, and it is not because she wishes it so.

It is because _he_ wishes it so.

 

Slaine doesn’t open the letter. Instead he tears it up into fragments so small, they float to the ground, like small misshapen snowflakes. It was the end of his winter. It was time to start anew. Spring was coming. 

 

 

 

 

 

Inaho returns shortly after. Waltzing in without so much as a knock. The only notice of his presence is the jingling of keys in the cell door. He finds Slaine laying down on the bed again, staring at the ceiling, not that there was much else for him to do in prison. The other doesn’t bat an eyelash at Inaho’s intrusion. A red eye darts from the figure on the bed to the bits of paper littering the floor. Slaine is the first to break the silence, his gaze unwavering from the stark white ceiling.

“I didn’t read it”

For a moment, everything is still until Inaho speaks up.  

“It was nothing of importance.”

 Slaine’s eyes flit to Inaho, incredulous. He already knows the answer but he asks anyway.

“You read it?”

“Of course, security measures apply even if it is from the Empress”

“Of course” Slaine scoffs, sitting up in bed. “So what did you come back for?”

“I did say I had good news did I not?” 

“You might have mentioned it.” Slaine was at a complete loss for what Inaho considered good news. What good news is there for a dead man? A new cook maybe, the food  was pretty bland. Not that he minded and Inaho brought him home cooked meals often enough, they were delicious and more than he deserved.

“You have been granted a military pardon, you will be released in ten years.”

He must be delusional. There is no way Inaho just said what he heard. His bemusement must have shown on his face because Inaho quickly speaks back up.

“Is there a problem?”

“I swear I heard you just say that I’ll be released.”

“You heard correct.”

“But how- wait is that what was in the-”

“Letter? No, this is a separate matter entirely.”

“Then how? You must be joking.” The accusation is weak, he knows Inaho well enough that the other was not so cruel to put false hope in him for a laugh. _Not that he laughs anyway._

“I wouldn’t. Negotiations were finished this morning.”

“Negotiations?”  His sentence is for life. Inaho says negotiations so casually but it must have been a battle. No one wants him released from prison, he is a war criminal and a dead man. This was not a simple decision to be debated over and within hours come to a conclusion. Something of this proportion must have taken months. Who did he have left to fight for him to that extent? A stupid question he already knew the answer.

“Yes with the UFE higher ups.”

Slaine feels his eyes brimming with tears and tries desperately to hold them back.

“Thank you- I - thank you.” He chokes out. How embarrassing. He can’t think of anything else to say. He doesn’t know how to put his gratitude into words. He uses his shirt to dry his eyes and faces Inaho once more who is holding out a handkerchief. He doubts Inaho usually carries around a handkerchief, he must have expected this to happen but Slaine can’t bring himself to care at the moment and gratefully accepts it.

“I don’t deserve this- thank you.” 

“I don’t see why you're thanking me, it was not my decision.”

_Yes, but you fought for it so thank you._

“Now get ready, we’re leaving.” 

“Leaving?! I thought you said ten years…”

“I guess I should have been more clear. You will be released in two years, although the circumstances of that release have not been set in stone yet.” Inaho kneels down in front of him and takes something out of the case Slaine just now realized he had been holding.

 “Your leg.”

“What?” It takes him a second to gather what Inaho is asking for, but quickly complies and extends his right leg. The brunette takes out a heavy duty black band and begins fastening it just above Slaine’s ankle.

“Consider this a trial run, if you fail you will end up back here. If not in ten years you will be allowed outside, with limitations of course and under my supervision.”

“Okay…. then if I’m not allowed out yet where are we going?”

“My home.”

Slaine almost kicks Inaho in the face.

“Your home?”

“Yes, you will be under house arrest for the remainder of your sentence since the UFE wouldn’t settle for anything less than fifteen years. Although the terms of your release have yet to be determined, I assume you will be allowed certain freedoms under my supervision.”

Inaho suddenly looks troubled.

“Ah- I apologize, I did not think to ask your opinion on the matter. I understand if this is undesirable and you would rather stay here until the end of your sentence. I should not have assumed, I’m sure we could find someone else to supervise in that time...” Slaine smiles as Inaho rambles on. It was amusing to see the hero of Earth so insecure. He takes pity on the young man and nudges his shoulder with the foot Inaho had just finished putting the anklet on.

“You think too much.”  Inaho looks up as Slaine gets off the bed and puts on his shoes. Inaho is about to retort when Slaine looks down at him arms crossed and cuts him off before he can start. 

“Why are you still sitting there, I thought you said we were leaving.” At that he turns and heads towards the door. Towards a new chapter in his life..

“You can have more time to think about it there’s no ru-”

He cuts Inaho off with zero hesitation.

“No.”

At that Inaho gets up and hurries after Slaine towards the door. 

As he unlocks it Slaine speaks up. “Honestly, the one who should need to think about it is you. You do realize you are going to be stuck with me for a lot more then the next ten years. I will be under your supervision for the remainder of my life most likely.”

“That’s fine.”

“Is it? You’ll never have a normal life. It will be impossible to have a family with the military's biggest secret around.” Slain stops before exiting the cell after Inaho. “Actually, I’m not leaving until you think about this I don’t want to live with you if you are going to be in a constant state of regret no matter how amusing I find the thought.”

“I’ve had 4 years to think about it.”

Slaine has nothing to say, dumbfounded at what the brunette just admitted, he walks through the door without another word. Inaho closes it behind him and begins leading him out of the prison.

“Besides, you’re my family now.”

Inaho quickly sidesteps a kick to the shin and leads a red-faced Slaine quietly out of the prison, for ever. 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
